Anthropic to open first India office as rival OpenAI boosts presence in the country

In a significant move to tap into the burgeoning Indian market, Anthropic has announced plans to establish its inaugural office in India by early 2026. This expansion comes as the usage of artificial intelligence continues to surge in the country, where its competitor OpenAI is already making strides. The Amazon-backed AI company, which boasts a valuation of $183 billion, will be setting up its second Asian office, following its Tokyo location. Dario Amodei, Anthropic's CEO, is currently visiting India to engage with government officials and enterprise partners, highlighting the firm’s commitment to the region. According to the Boston Consulting Group, India leads the globe in AI adoption, with over 90% of workers utilizing AI technologies. Amodei remarked on India's unique appeal, emphasizing the country's vast technical workforce and the government's dedication to ensuring that the advantages of AI permeate throughout society rather than being limited to a select few. Anthropic aims to leverage AI for social impact, focusing on sectors like education and healthcare while fostering strategic partnerships to bolster key industries. The company plans to enhance its flagship product, Claude, with improved performance in Hindi and several other Indian languages, reflecting its commitment to local users. Currently, India ranks second in Claude usage, trailing only the United States. This strategic move comes as OpenAI intensifies its efforts in India, having recently launched an affordable subscription for ChatGPT and reportedly planning to establish its own office in the country. Despite the competitive landscape, Anthropic is poised for growth. In August, Claude saw 118,000 downloads in India, a stark contrast to ChatGPT's 10.3 million and Perplexity’s 6.4 million downloads, as reported by analytics firm Appfigures. This expansion is part of Anthropic's broader global strategy to enhance its international presence and attract more enterprise clients.